The Camden United Under-17s side that won a five-a-side tournament at Fulham FC’s Motspur Park training ground in New Malden earlier this season

ONE of the cheapest amateur football clubs to play for in London has sent out an urgent clarion call in a bid to ensure they have the funds in place to maintain their number one goal: serving their local communities.

At the turn of the year the Camden United team took to fundraising platform Givebrite to post a desperate SOS: “Save Our Season.”

The club, which was originally launched in 2019 to provide free sport to young people at risk of falling into anti-social behaviour and knife crime, wanted to raise £25,000 to cover the costs of running until the summer.

Despite having so far received less than half of their initial target, coaches are confident that they will still be able to finish the current campaign.

But with United still facing growing financial difficulties, co-founder Hafid Ali, who lives in Somers Town, admits he doesn’t know what the future has in store.

“We’re really not about money and making profit,” said Hafid. “Our main aim is to help change the lives of young people. Our ethos is based on community engagement, uniting diverse groups of young people from across Camden, Westminster and Islington and supporting them as they tackle peer pressures and growing gang influences.”

United currently have in the region of 170 players on their books, ranging from Under-11s to adult men’s and women’s teams. The club charge just £35 a season for their kits, but the players don’t pay a penny for training or taking part in matches.

United boast a busy schedule on the pitch – with their youth sides playing at Coram’s Fields in Bloomsbury, while their men’s and women’s teams compete in various leagues in Islington and Middlesex.

The Camden United family is still recovering from the sudden death of co-founder Abdulaziz Munye. The former Edith Neville and Quintin Kynaston school pupil, who grew up and lived in Somers Town, died in October after suffering a heart attack aged just 26.

“Abdulaziz and I founded the club after losing a few friends to knife crime,” added Hafid. “We thought the best way to bring people together was through football. We wanted to break down barriers, and support those who couldn’t afford to play or travel to games.

“We had a lot of plans for Camden United, and it’s those plans – and thinking about Abdulaziz – that inspired me to recently reduce my hours working for Camden Council to fully focus on the club’s future.”

Hafid continued: “To keep the club running, and cover the costs of all the free training sessions and matches, costs somewhere in the region of £60,000 to £70,000 a season, so we need all the support we can get.

“Anyone interested can make a one-off donation, regular monthly donations, or even set up their own individual fundraiser and share it with their friends and family.”

• To donate, visit givebrite.com and search for Camden United FC, or email Hafid at hafid@camdenunitedfc.com for further details.